robot
by Lucifer Rosemaunt
Summary: All companions are androids, but not all androids are companions. Some androids just try harder. ErikRaoul slash
1. Chapter 1

Title: r-obot  
Ch: 01  
Author: Lucifer Rosemaunt  
Series: AU erik

Summary: All companions are androids, but not all androids are companions. Some androids just try harder.  
Fandom: Phantom of the Opera  
Pairing(s): Erik/Raoul slash  
Warning(s): scifi!AU, androids, angst  
Word Count: 3,659  
Rating: K+

A/N: This story is obviously about Venn diagrams. :) Just kidding. Nerd-status.  
Story note: Angst. In android form.

o.o.o.o

"Fix it." Erik's tone made the man on the other end of the comm call flinch though Erik could not actually witness it. He could, however, hear the tremor in his reply.

"Sir, please." The representative did not exactly know for what he was pleading, perhaps he was just trying to appease a customer or maybe he was just trying to stave off the impending doom that was certain to follow his next statement. Either way, he felt an overwhelming urge to plead for his life despite the fact that they were currently half the planet away from each other. Clearing his throat, he rushed through in a single breath, "There is no way to do what you are asking." He quickly added, trying to sound reasonable and give an explanation as to why it was impossible, "It is an old model and..."

"That is precisely why I purchased it," Erik interrupted. The words were clipped, somewhere between emphasizing each word as though he were speaking to a child and forcing the words out through his clenched jaw and more importantly, through the pressing need to injure someone. "Specifically so these things would not happen. If I had wanted manufactured emotions and contrived desire, I would have purchased a hooker. It would have been cheaper."

The pregnant pause that followed could only be described as stunned silence.

It was crude and Erik was almost disappointed in himself for speaking so basely, but he had had enough of this corporation and at the moment, this representative. He would have ended the call sooner if it had not taken thirty minutes to get through all the android representatives before being connected to an actual human being. Erik was not very sure about this 'manager' that he had gotten, but Andre, as the man had introduced himself as, was not inspiring much hope of fixing his situation despite having insisted he was well-versed in the development and care of all androids, especially the originating, alpha variants.

"Yes, well. There's…" Andre said hopefully, "the factory reset? All it requires is the command, and voice recognition will take care of the request. If you don't…"

"Do _not_ insult my intelligence." Interrupting would probably become a habit if Erik spoke any longer with Andre, considering all his less-than-helpful suggestions. "All owners take the required course of owning androids where the factory reset, as you well would know, is one of its main focus. If I had wanted to be told that option, I would have listened to your automated dummies."

A series of "uh's" and not-silent-enough hyperventilation was his only response and Erik punched the wall besides the comm panel. He _could_ make the call in any part of his home, but not only had he been unable to remain seated through the process of obtaining this assistance, he found it slightly satisfying that he could raise his voice more effectively by the actual panel.

"Perhaps," Andre said and the desperation was making his voice raise an octave, "if you enable the video on this call…"

"So you can what?" Erik scoffed. "Diagnostics have already been run by previous technicians in previous comm calls. Do you believe you personally can somehow fix it by visual determination of what went wrong with the programming on chips and boards that are not visible to the naked eye?"

He found himself considering the option of simply hanging up and trying again at a later time with some vague hope of obtaining a resolution with someone else, even as unsuccessful as that particular tactic was already proving to be. The urgency of his situation, however, meant it was imperative to fix this sooner than later despite his irritation.

He had sent the android in question to clean his studio. It was busy work and between the two of them neither was convinced it was anything other than Erik wanting privacy without actually asking for it, and that was wherein the problem laid. The android should not have had that knowing look on his face. There were a lot of things the android should not have.

Erik tried to take a calming breath, but what came out when he spoke again was pure vitriol, "Perhaps you will see the machine and then simply confirm that you cannot fix it?"

"It is difficult to confirm sentience from diagnostics," Andre reasoned.

"Really?" And had Erik thought he could get away with making this a one way video comm, he would have; he almost wanted to see the other man's reaction as he spluttered a mumbled stream of apologies as though he were trying to block out Erik's hostility. "Because I was certain that was exactly what your scan on him" – he quickly corrected, "_it_ precisely determined."

The mumbled apologies was replaced by a hushed conversation Andre was having with someone else but no direct rebuttal to his statement.

Shutting his eyes, Erik leaned his head against the cement wall, focusing on the chill to calm himself. He eventually spoke, "Let me speak with…"

A deep breath cut him off before Andre actually spoke. "Sir," he said as forcefully as he could muster at the moment, which was heretofore actually uncharacteristically strong as though he had mustered up the strength from some untapped reserve. "No matter how much you strip down any android of all the extra features we have these days, you still purchased a machine that's sole purpose is to learn and adapt, especially with the alpha variants such as the one you purchased. In the past they had one android for all things, not like today where with both the beta and gamma variants we have the ability to tailor to specific needs. The mutating algorithms in the alpha's programming is necessary for it to function and…" there was a pause and Erik could hear the dull clicks associated with operating the OS, surmising he was bringing up the specifics of his file, "do your house chores, cook what different meals you want without having to input the recipes yourself and more importantly to go out and interact with other people, androids, and robots when it does your outdoor errands. This is no small feat and in these models, you specifically cannot program them by inserting a chip or anything like we do today. It is a learning system. Given enough time, it appears that it can become something of a companion version and gain more… human reactions than when you first purchased it. It is kind of a free upgrade."

Erik was almost impressed. That was the most coherent Andre had been all afternoon. It did little to solve his problem though and he was not feeling very generous. "And, as I have said to every android and individual I have spoken to so far, if I had wanted those upgrades, I would have purchased them."

Andre actually moaned softly to himself in despair. "Sir."

He knew he was being difficult but felt the slightest bit better that he had managed to break the man's spirit even though he had rallied for that brief moment.

"I do not know what to tell you. There is no way to isolate an alpha's emotions from what it has learned. In subsequent variants, behaviours, tasks, and personality features are all diverted to different drives. Your android is simply too complex as it is now to separate the emotions he is displaying from every other task he has learned. I regret to inform you that the only thing you can do now is reset it. If you…"

He was abruptly removed from the call as a new voice came on. The man who had taken over was too pleasant and spoke in a manner that was meant to appease. Erik immediately despised him.

"Sir, this is Firmin, another manager here at Garnier TechCorp and I have been informed of the issues you have been experiencing. We would like to offer you a new state of the line…"

Erik slammed his palm against the comm panel, the screen pixelating before hanging up the call.

"Useless," he said to the empty room. Quickly registering the near silent footsteps that approached him though, he realized it was not empty any longer. "How long have you been there?" He refused to turn to face the android because maybe he could pretend for a little longer that nothing had changed over the past few months.

"Approximately forty-seven minutes ago."

And Erik could hear the difference in his voice now that he knew to listen for it. Tones and inflections that had not been there in the beginning were subtle but all too telling.

He glanced at the monitor, the last transmission in the corner queue blinked 47:20. Had he not been forcibly restraining himself from slamming his head against the wall various moments of the comm call, he was certain that he would have realized he had not been alone sooner. The android had always been an efficient cleaner.

"So, you know the problem." He briefly wondered if the android, if _Raoul_, could parse the true meaning through the vagueness of his statement. There had been numerous calls to Garnier TechCorp before this one, ones where Raoul had necessarily been informed of Erik's reaction to his newfound emotions. He wondered if the android was conscious enough to realize the problem was not so much the 'free upgrade' that had occurred but that he had been presented with only one solution, the one solution that took _everything _away from him.

Erik himself tried not to feel too conflicted about this. He was the one who wanted that burgeoning personality and its subsequent emotions to be destroyed, but he had heard that there was something unsettling even for the android when a factory reset was done. No erasure could ever be done in a single moment nor ever be truly complete. Memory by memory was fragmented and destroyed; the android's own body eliminating so much information from itself to leave nothing but a base code and a shell. Then, there was the tendency of the factory reset to leave phantom impressions. Shadows of memories had been documented in beta and gamma variants – the alphas had mostly all been phased out by this time – and it had proved to be truly disorienting for the android. It left broken machines that could be caught in infinite repair loops or even become dangerous, both of which required the corporation's intervention.

A gentle hand – one that felt like skin and bone but was really synthetic silicone and alloy metals – was placed on his arm, coaxing him to turn around. And Erik did, obeyed the wordless request and looked at his biggest mistake in the eyes.

He had hoped to spare Raoul that particular fate because this was all his fault. He could have just gotten a robot, had his groceries and all the essentials transported to his home as he had in the past. There were so very little people in the colony and none that Erik would willingly have wanted to encounter much less need an android with whom to interact. Robots were uncomplicated, forced to stay on the owner's property because of the limited processing abilities they maintained. They were cheaper because of that and the lack of pretense of being human. They were bulky metals and had nothing beyond smoothed corners so as not to pierce anything. Robots were all binary, yes and no and do what this program tells you to do.

Androids, it was touted, could think and learn. They had been designed and upgraded to the point where they were legally allowed outside one's premises without immediate supervision. There was one for every occasion, betas tailored for specific wants and needs – maids, chefs, drivers, and the most recent upgrade with the gammas, companions. Companions were androids created to fulfill every physical and emotional need a human could have. It would have been disgusting if it had not been generally called progress. No one need ever be lonely again, for a price.

Erik had not ridiculed the vast numbers that had purchased such progress, those that fell in love with logic statements and mutating algorithms that somehow equated love for others, but it had been a close thing. Technology, he was certain, conspired to make humanity marketable. It was succeeding. For him though, he had known that despite the near-constant desire for such affection reciprocated, he would always know that the emotion had been programmed. In the back of his mind, he would think to himself 'without choice there was no love' and knowing that was worse than not having anyone at all.

He had been weak regardless.

When his last and only robot simply expired from age and use, he had travelled three days spent hiding beneath layers of that suffocating temporary face. It had been three more days that he had spent outside of his home than last year simply to get to the closest robotics store as rundown and secondhand as it was.

When he made it to the shop, he had not thought any robot to be worth the hassle. So, while he had not wanted a companion, he had not denied himself the simple pleasure of looking at some of their previously-owned beta androids, ones that did not promise emotion and false love. He could not deny the want to simply share space with another body, to see a human face despite what it held beneath– who was he to judge what lay beneath the surface of synthetic skin – for some_thing_ to look at him without flinching or shying away. He wished to hear breaths, even simulated and unnecessary as they were, to pretend he was no longer alone even if that existence was a loveless one.

Oh, how he had been immediately caught by this android's dirty blond hair and blue eyes, by the curve of his cheek. Raoul had been abandoned and unwanted, the last of his kind with servos so old, Erik had been warned that even with constant care he would hear every movement the android made. When the oil-stained and unseemly shop owner, Buquet had rebooted his antiquated system, when Raoul took the first breath he had taken in decades, Erik had been lost. It had taken every ounce of his control not to show his interest when all he wanted to do was take him home from that dusty and dark store and paint him because even in darkness, he could tell someone had managed to come close to perfection. He eventually paid a discounted price after much haggling and feigned disinterest and after a cursory re-education of protocols had taken it home.

Unfortunately, Raoul had not remained just a body to fill the empty spaces of his home. He was so much more.

Erik glanced at the hand still on his arm and he wondered when that had become commonplace enough for him not to care any longer, to not shy away from the touch, any touch. That should have earned a fist to his face; though if he thought of it now, it had never been that way with Raoul. But, how he could categorize the subtle perfection that was Raoul's face. Erik had drawn it time and again for its handsomeness, for the pure unadulterated beauty. Raoul had become the model for all of Erik's pieces and he was not the only one enamored with his beauty. There had been an increase of interest in his works.

Now, as he looked Raoul in the eyes, he wondered if what reflected back was truly not his own emotions but in fact, Raoul's and as unpracticed as he was, all Erik could see was concern.

He shook Raoul's hand off his arm. "How much…" How could he even begin to word this? "How much do you… know?"

Raoul tilted his head slightly as though in thought. It was so very human a reaction and Erik wondered from whom he had learned that gesture. Who in the colony out there who interacted with Raoul when he ran his errands, gave him that piece of his personality?

"I know," each word was weighted with consideration, "only as much as my memory capacity can hold."

Erik was taken aback because as flat as Raoul had tried to make that reply, there was a hint of amusement, a small quirk of his lips and Erik could not believe the android was being cheeky with him.

He turned away and cursed to his ceiling. How long had the signs been in front of him? Raoul always followed him; an android's first few weeks were always spent shadowing one's owner. It was a necessary part of their programming. When had the touches, the… Erik stalked away from Raoul and paced the length of the room. When had the meals that they shared – and they shared _every_ meal – when had the nights Raoul would sit and watch him work, when had it all changed from necessity to desire? When had learning Erik's chores become learning his personal needs? When had the fondness in his gaze appeared?

Raoul knew everything about him. He did things before Erik could ask, knew what he wanted before Erik even knew he wanted it. He took a shaky breath. _Raoul_ was everything he had ever wanted. They did not fight. Raoul never complained, never judged him, never could learn to hate him.

Erik dropped onto the couch, sharply exhaling as he did. Without hesitation, Raoul sat beside him as though he belonged there, simulated warmth pressed against his side. He was a solid presence now so obviously familiar, familiar in a way that was muscle memory. Erik knew how much he could lean against him for the perfect amount of pressure without constraining either of their ranges of motion.

"Are you okay?" Raoul asked.

Erik wanted to laugh at the concern, not to be cruel, but he wanted to laugh at fate's joke on him.

Raoul sounded sincere. He was as sincere as a processed emotion could be.

"What do you need?" he queried further.

Raoul would always think of him first. That was literally what he was made for, an aid, a helper. In fact, he would never be able to think of anyone else.

"I will get you a beverage, something calming perhaps…" he moved to stand up, but Erik stopped him with a hand to his wrist. He sat back down obediently even when Erik pulled his hand away as though it burned. The need to hold on and never let go was too sudden a thought, was simply too overwhelming.

Raoul would always be obedient. He was created to follow directives.

Erik turned to him and blue eyes that were so familiar searched his, too human in the need to alleviate his distress. Erik slowly raised his hands and notice the tremor in them as he moved to gently cup Raoul's cheeks in a motion he had never thought he would have the liberty to do.

Raoul could leave; he _would_ leave to run errands but never for long. He would always come back. He _had_ to come back.

"I need," Erik started and in that moment, he did not know.

He was distracted by how smooth Raoul's skin was beneath his hands, how it held just the right amount of warmth. Raoul stayed placidly like a well-trained animal. He looked almost pleased at the attention, grateful for his touch.

And maybe Erik saw love in his eyes, an emotion he had never witnessed before directed at him. He could not be sure it was love. Maybe he was just seeing what he wanted, and _how_ he wanted, never knew how much he could want until this very moment.

There was that quirk in his lips again, like Raoul was suppressing a smile, like he knew exactly what Erik wanted and was pleased.

"Erik."

And he had never been unhappy that he had forbidden Raoul to call him 'Sir' as androids were initially programmed to do until this moment. He had never heard his name weighed by so much emotion that was not hatred and it felt as though a piece within him loosed at his name and lodged in his throat. He could not name what that piece was. Perhaps it was emotion. Perhaps it was the realization that Erik no longer simply wanted to love and be loved. He wanted…

"Raoul." The word sounded broken to even his own ears.

He wished he could simply appreciate such engineering marvels but all he could see was trust and adoration in those too obviously inhuman blue eyes, emotions that had no place turned towards him, for he deserved neither.

"Apply directive 7Z439KYM Protocol 129."

As the letters and numbers flowed from his lips, as the specific directive and code that every android and robot owner was forced to learn and memorize before they could take them home, Erik saw… he _felt_ Raoul's eyes widen slightly in a myriad of emotions before they blanked. His body slumped forward and hands Erik had not realized were holding his forearms fell, leaving only the chill of his home in its wake. Raoul's lips grew slack; the pleased grin Erik had taken for granted disappeared.

He jerked away as a voice he could barely recognize stated.

"Protocol 129. Formatting will be completed in five hours, twenty-three minutes, and thirty seconds."

The android stayed motionless where it was, a marionette whose strings were tangled. Erik fled the room, locked himself in his studio, and tried to ignore the regret that was so very quickly gnawing at his chest but it was impossible with the memory of the look of utter betrayal that had been caught in frightening clarity in his mind. He wondered if he could forget just as efficiently as Raoul would in about five and a half hours.

o.o.o.o

End chapter 01

A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!  
Fic Review: At which point, I drop to my knees and scream No! Damn it, Erik. Wtf? Why would you do that to Raoul? Worst. Ever. :(


	2. Chapter 2

Title:  
Ch: 02  
Author: Lucifer Rosemaunt  
Series: AU erik

Summary: All companions are androids, but not all androids are companions… until they are.  
Fandom: Phantom of the Opera  
Pairing(s): Erik/Raoul slash  
Warning(s): scifi!AU, androids, angst  
Word Count: 1,798  
Rating: K+

A/N: Android!verse is going over surprisingly well with you guys. More than I expected. I guess I'm not the only one who believes E/R needs to have an AU in every 'verse.  
Story note: This was going to just be a two-shot but I lost the original chapter 2 and had to start over, which was devastating btw. So, you get shorter chapters but more of them since I need to reimagine this.

o.o.o.o

While things changed, they ever remained the same.

The android was still somehow Raoul even when he was not, and Erik was still himself even when he wished he was not.

The days continued as they once had been at the very beginning. Erik changed nothing of how he treated the android. He allowed it to learn as though it were the first time he had booted it, let it trail after him every second of every day, told it to call him _Erik _and let the programming do what it was created to do.

He knew that he was sabotaging himself, hoping that the same actions would somehow produce different results. He knew better, but it was easier to hope for the best than to work for it. Perhaps he wanted to see if the first time had been something of an anomaly, wanted to see if Raoul would somehow find his way back to him. Maybe a part of him _wanted_ Raoul to find his way back.

He could not look at the android without thinking of who he had once been. He supposed that was part of the reason why he had not been given the reprieve of forgetting the android's last moments as he had given the directive. Beneath unfinished commissions, he had an abundance of crumpled pages, sketches of Raoul's expression just before the blankness took over. Despite how that look of betrayal haunted him, he rather hated the neutral expression on the android's face that had replaced it. It was wrong and disorienting.

However unsurprising, it was still a relief that given the passage of enough time, the android and its mutating algorithms would change once more. In just six months – two months faster than the first time – Raoul was once again a facsimile of the man Erik forgot an android could not be.

At times, he allowed himself to be so flippant about the matter as to wonder if that particular study of betas and gammas was still ongoing, if there were people to inform that alpha variants _were_ just as prone to those phantom impressions resultant of the factory reset as the others. An incomplete memory erasure was the only reason to explain why it took Raoul so very little time to lose the monotone voice and disinterested expression.

While the android still had to undeniably learn how to function around the household, there were moments when it was simply _Raoul _knowing him, knowing things before Erik had the chance to teach him. He learned how Erik preferred to live at a faster rate and intuitively knew what foods he wanted to eat, learning recipes before he could even suggest them. Raoul knew that when he was stressed from a commission to give him more space than normal and most tellingly, knew what not to touch in his studio, a lesson that had been quite disastrous the first time around. He had not even questioned when Erik asked him to sit on the pedestal to model for him. He followed directions perfectly without asking why as he had the first time.

Even when Raoul began to look at him as more than simply his owner, looked at him as though he were the only person in the universe that mattered, Erik did nothing. He did not attempt to contact Garnier TechCorp again nor did he mention the change in the slightest. The android did its best to hide such emotions, but the times when he forgot himself, Erik rather basked in the attention. Perhaps it was necessary to look at him like that since all androids were programmed to protect their owner.

Erik turned a blind eye to the all-too-familiar signs, reasoning that he was being paranoid since the last time. He rather preferred Raoul to have that melodic quality to his voice, preferred expressions as miniscule as they were to flash across his features. Nothing the android did seemed particularly out of line with his duties, and Erik could hope that it would be different this time.

After all, there were differences that made him think that perhaps it would not progress further.

Raoul kept a modicum of distance between them even though there were times it was obvious that he wanted to be closer. He was in Erik's space but only when absolutely necessary and while Erik might have missed the comfortable warmth, he could live with it. He had lived without another's touch for decades and should rather be able to miss something he had purposefully given up.

The smirk even came back, though more scarce than before. There was something hesitant about it as though he were trying to hide it but was absolutely miserable at doing so. Erik knew it was because he had not quite learned how to yet. In fact, there was something hesitant in much of how Raoul moved nowadays. Erik had spent an entire week watching him when he realized it was not hesitancy. It was caution. It was as though Raoul did not simply act. He examined each movement, each facial expression, each word, and weighed it to some unknown standard in order to determine whether or not to actually continue.

During this scrutiny, Erik noticed something more sinister than simple caution. Sometimes Raoul would freeze for just a moment and something like fear would cross his eyes. As miniscule a movement as it was, Erik knew it was quite telling despite how well the android could recover. It was an odd stillness that was occurring more and more as the days passed bringing with it an air of melancholy that Raoul could not hide.

In those moments, Erik would freeze alongside him, freeze because he knew what that particular glitch was, and it _was_ a glitch. In those moments, he knew that Raoul relived the long hours it had taken to erase himself, relived Erik commanding him to do so and how he had done it willingly.

So his expectations changed. There was no use hoping for them to continue as they were. It was, after all, his fault. He had been the one to use the factory reset despite knowing the possible repercussions, but of all the options he had been given, he had not once considered allowing Raoul to part from him. As much as he lamented his choice, he knew he would make the same decision again considering the alternatives.

Now, he waited for Raoul to start hating him, for him to assault him. Androids should not be able to injure humans. It was a simple law of robotics. However, it was not unheard of and if an android could fool himself into believing he was in love, then surely he could figure out how to hate someone as well. Erik was more familiar with that emotion and its accompanying compulsions.

He waited and though the number of times Raoul froze did not abate, nothing came of it. The smirks were easier to see and the space between them was closing, but even though every action was still guarded and restrained, none of it was overtly hostile.

He waited and expected the worst because surely that was what was gradually building between them. He was getting tired from all the expectation, tired of always being on guard and wondering if the next meal Raoul prepared would be his last. Surely the android did not know such subtlety though. The stories he had heard were always of direct physical attacks. Yet, none came.

He waited and readied himself even as he tried to memorize the stolen moments in-between. He wondered if those adoring looks Raoul gave him were but masks to hide the plot to injure him in return. He expected to say the directive in self-defense because what he had done was surely unforgiveable especially to an android.

What he had not expected was to be working in the studio one day reaching for a chisel when Raoul caught his hand. It was the first contact that Raoul had initiated since the factory reset and Erik's first thought was surprisingly not to worry for his life. He was too distracted by the calluses on Raoul's palm that he could feel from the firm grip on his wrist. They were calluses from helping him in the workshop so much. Working with marble and granite would do that to anyone even if Raoul was stronger than any man. He wondered at the technology that would allow his synthetic skin to adapt to the work instead of simply becoming damaged and break down. He had little time to ponder that though because said hand, one that contained so much strength and warmth, squeezed his wrist gently, drawing him abruptly from his musings.

Erik finally remembered to be nervous and was startled into meeting his eyes. He was caught in his gaze for a heavy moment before being lost in analyzing every feature, hoping to replace the look of betrayal still etched so clearly in his mind; so, it took him a long moment before he actually deciphered his expression. Raoul opened his mouth to say something but it was unnecessary because Erik could already see it in his eyes.

_I forgive you even though you hurt me. _

He shook his head violently, desperate not to hear the actual words, and instead of the apology that had long since settled in his mind, the words that came out to block out anything Raoul might have said were, "Apply directive" and the rest flowed out before he even had enough time to think of how he should react.

Raoul reacted enough for both of them though. The first word was barely out of Erik's mouth before he flinched, tearing his hand away and Erik tried not to feel too lost without the touch. Raoul looked down at his hand as though the appendage had somehow caused this offense instead of Erik. He did not move any further though, did not try to speak again, and more noticeably refused to look up. He was resigned to his fate already and when the command was done, his head was still bent, defeat in his very posture.

"Protocol 129…" the voice responded.

Erik was still reaching out, reaching forward towards the android instead of the chisel but it seemed too far a distance to close now.

"Formatting will be…"

He dropped his hand and stared at his android, angry at himself, angry at his reaction even though he knew there would have been no way he could have let Raoul say anything. And, now he knew better. He knew that they could not continue as they were, though there was not a doubt in his mind that they would find a way to continue.

o.o.o.o

End Chapter 02

A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!  
Chapter Review: Way to mistake unresolved sexual tension as someone plotting to kill you, Erik. Fml Where's all that guilt when you factory reset him the first time?


	3. Chapter 3

Title: r. obot  
Ch: 03  
Author: Lucifer Rosemaunt  
Series: AU erik

Summary: All companions are androids, but not all androids are companions… until Raoul decides to be.  
Fandom: Phantom of the Opera  
Pairing(s): Erik/Raoul slash  
Warning(s): scifi!AU, androids, angst  
Word Count: 3,628  
Rating: K+

A/N: Short chapters, that's what I promised, right? 194 words – that's how this chapter started. I'd been like, 'score, double drabble. Let me just edit. Wait. Why? Why so long?' Fml.  
Story note: I am mad at this story on so many counts and I'm pretty sure you guys aren't as sorry about me losing my original chapter 2 than you initially made me think. ;3

o.o.o.o

Erik alternated between looking at the door and the digital marquee running above the Multidimensional Interactive Digital Screen that stood as the western wall of his living room.

"MIDS, show entrance camera."

His default screen with its simulated window and bookshelf dissolved in a flashy shower of pixels to show the outer entrance of his home, the thick steel sliding access hatch and the stairs leading down to his front door. It was empty, as it had been the last time he had checked five minutes ago and the five minutes before then. He had tried being productive to pass the time faster, but the knowledge that Raoul was not in the house had made it difficult to focus on anything but that simple fact.

Going through his mental calendar, he tried to remember when he had last given the directive. He was chagrin to note that it was a quick calculation because against his better judgment, he had been counting the days, just waiting. A little over five months had passed and they had still come to this moment, though very unexpected as it was.

Erik had changed everything of how he dealt with the android. He had changed the very way he functioned in his own home, his habits and patterns for the sake of somehow keeping peace between them, between him and Raoul – and it was _Raoul _because the android would apparently find his way back to himself regardless of the situation.

He had not overridden the default command of the android's form of addressing him. Erik despised the title; he bristled every time Raoul called him _Sir_ instead of his own name, not quite certain how he could have grown accustomed to hearing it and how such a small thing could actually matter to him. On top of that, he had taken every precaution necessary to ensure they were in the workshop at the same time as little as possible after their last episode. If he needed anything moved or done, he would explain it to the android and then leave the room. If he needed Raoul to model for him, he would take footage from the security cameras around the house to do it. It was a poor substitute, but one that worked well enough, serving a twofold purpose: having a current image of the android and allowing him an opportunity to watch him unhindered. Erik had essentially confined him to the kitchen and when he was not there, he was either cleaning a room Erik was not in or running the necessary errands out in the colony.

All of this had been done to reduce the amount of time they spent in each other's company. Erik rarely saw his android in person anymore and it stung because not seeing him did not mean he was unaware of him. At all times during the day, he knew exactly where Raoul was and what he was doing. His home was too small for it to be any other way, but despite the annoyances that these changes caused, it had been worth it because his household was functioning well and if they did not interact, then there was no way for Raoul to develop any unnecessary emotions.

"MIDS…" he hesitated and the screen blinked as it waited for an order. Letting out a sharp exhale, Erik bit out, "Default screen." He stalked to the small corner of the room that held his dining set and grabbed a chair to sit. Staring blankly at the screen and the shelves which held books as well as artifacts of the city of his ancestors: a pointed tower, a music box, a colorful hot air balloon, his eyes were inevitably drawn to the simulated window at the center of the wall. Even though it was an old recording of nighttime at the colony, all grey sand and domed roofs peeking above the ground, he could not help but search it, hoping to see a single body making its way back home. He bit his tongue from giving the order he desperately wanted to say.

Glancing once more at the hour, he tried to force it to read something other than its current time.

_2018_

It was eighteen minutes past the android curfew and an hour since Erik had realized that his absence was unusual. Raoul was never gone this long, never missed making Erik's dinner no matter how many times he refused to eat. He never stayed out this late. Erik did not think his programming allowed him to or at least, it would make it so that he knew better than to do so. The repercussions for an android staying out past curfew were severe.

Something must have happened. Erik's mind raced at the possibilities. Raoul could have been injured in some manner, a sandstorm may have delayed him, or perhaps he had been stolen. It was not unheard of in other colonies for that to happen, but the technology needed to overpower and incapacitate an android was too noticeable. Someone would have seen, would have heard if an attempt to steal Raoul had been made. If anything at all affected his android, Erik would have immediately been informed.

Maybe that last factory reset _had _broken something in his programming. He had not noticed any signs of damage. Then again, he rarely looked Raoul in the eyes, rarely in his too handsome face unless he was alone in his workshop and was staring raptly at a hologram. Even though he missed the smirk, the meaningful looks, and the kindness in his voice, he had not failed to notice that Raoul seemed to function well enough when left unattended. Even without his influence, his voice was no longer emotionless and there was a gentleness that Erik often assumed was simply imagined. Raoul rarely spoke to him long enough for him to decide either way.

Then, there was the possibility that nothing was wrong at all. That alone was why he could not give MIDS the order to locate his android. Not now. Doing so would be certain capture for him because any indication that Raoul was not where he was supposed to be would alert the authorities of his absence. He knew not what Raoul was doing out there, but Erik would not be the cause of reducing him to a fate he had been working so hard to avoid.

He wanted to believe that Raoul would walk through the door any second but did not delude himself. Some truly depraved part of him was almost relieved. If the android was gone, then he would no longer have to worry. He would not have to change the way he lived. He could purchase a robot and live without the constant weight of an android's consideration. The problem was that he was not strong enough to let him go willingly. This way, the decision would be taken out of his own hands.

He stood up abruptly, the chair clattering at the violent motion. Living alone in this house again with just a robot as his companion was an inconvenience, but the thought of no longer having _Raoul _with him was insupportable. He grabbed his cloak, decision made to begin searching despite not knowing where to start.

A double chime sounded, indicating that someone had opened the outer hatch and Erik closed the short distance to his front door before flinging it open just as the biometrics recognition system caught up and a female voice spoke from the speakers: _Antoinette Giry and Raoul_.

He laid eyes on his android for what felt like the first time in months and it was still all wrong. Raoul stared blankly ahead at some point over Erik's shoulder, completely expressionless. Despite the rush of relief that flooded him, Erik frowned. It took him a moment to tear his gaze away long enough to look at the woman accompanying him.

Before saying anything, he moved to one side, making space in a silent order and Raoul walked past him into the safety of his home. By doing so, Erik would at least be able to focus on the impending conversation. He did not bother to see where Raoul went, just the knowledge that he was back where he belonged was enough to calm him.

It was only when he noticed that the woman before him was making a point of not looking at his face did he realize that he had opened the door with neither synthetic skin nor his mask. He turned then, a slight movement that would hide the worst of his deformity, but he knew it was too late. She had already seen it. He briefly considered closing the door then and either leaving her to stand there until she realized he was not going to return or to be polite and grab a mask.

She made the decision for them and it was not one he appreciated. "Sir," she said, her voice was firm and confident, the voice of a woman used to being listened to. They were going to have this conversation right now.

Erik stayed as he was, eyes focused on the doorjamb of his home since that was the only thing within his line of sight. He did not know who this Antoinette Giry was, but then again, he recognized very few people in the colony. He had worked hard to make it so. Her dark hair was in a braid that had been twisted into a tight bun pressed flush against her head. Her pale skin stood out in stark contrast to her dark navy, tailored floor-length skirt and jacket with its stiff collar. The white blouse beneath the jacket was adorned with a broach, a silhouette of something Erik could not discern from this angle though it was oddly familiar.

"I own the Corps du Boulanger and came across your android when I was closing the store."

It took a few seconds before the name held any meaning. Corps du Boulanger was the bakery that Raoul had found almost a year ago when he learned that Erik was partial to savory baked goods. It was also the bakery he had been going to ever since despite the fact that Erik had never mentioned it after the resets. He himself had never bothered to locate the shop and would have never known of its existence had Raoul not brought home the box stamped with the silhouette of a chef's hat one day. The smell of freshly baked goods had done the impossible and managed to draw Erik out of his workshop. He distinctly remembered the day, not for the baked goods, but for the small smirk and triumphant look in Raoul's eyes when Erik moaned in appreciation after the first bite.

His eyes narrowed as he tried to reconcile the image of this austere woman with that of a bakery owner. He imagined that there were many robots and androids doing the physical labor; the recipes, however, could very well have been passed down through generations to this woman's possession. A very ruthless business woman, on the other hand, Erik could easily imagine her as.

"The constables had spotted him," she continued and at the news, Erik forgot himself and looked her in the eyes.

What he really wanted to do was search for Raoul to ensure that he was well, remembering his blank expression. The constables carried electric tasers specifically designed to 'placate' any robot or android; they hardly cared if they damaged them in the process.

Antoinette Giry did not react to his sudden motion or the fact that his deformity was now in plain sight once more and he was distantly impressed. Very few people in all his years had never flinched away from his face and yet she showed neither reaction nor discomfort. He turned towards the doorjamb again to spare himself the moment she could no longer school her features and as a silent cue for her to continue.

"My daughter and I see him often enough to know he belonged to you, and after I explained to them that…" she paused before emphasizing, "_steps were being taken to fix him_, I was able to convince them to bring him to you." She waited for a response, but Erik remained silent, trying to process what had happened and its consequences.

Raoul had been caught and there was little he could do now to protect him from the fate that awaited him. Dread settled in his stomach.

"He has been acting odd lately, withdrawn and sullen almost. He no longer smiles nor laughs." She added as an afterthought, "He is hardly a threat of course, but my daughter was worried that some part of his programming may have been corrupted."

"Madame." Erik could listen to her no longer. He was grateful for her assistance, in her debt certainly but he would consider what that meant later. There were more pressing matters at hand. "Thank you for your assistance. I _have_ had my suspicions as well and have been in touch with Garnier TechCorp." He noticed her relaxing the slightest bit at the words, easing her worries that she had been made a liar. "They are addressing the issue. I did not think it would come to this before it was resolved."

"I thought as much," she said after a heavy pause. "I shall leave you to it then. I must warn you, however, the constables are to visit tomorrow to follow up of course."

"Of course," Erik muttered.

She turned with a curt nod and he watched her leave, standing motionless until the outer hatch slid shut behind her with a hydraulic hiss. When the lock slid in place, he shut his eyes, trying to gather himself.

Turning, he slammed the door shut and stalked into the living room where the android was waiting for him.

"What have you done?"

For a tense moment, Erik was met with a blank expression and he feared the worst. The Giry woman had said that she had intercepted the constables before they had done anything to Raoul, but if his programming had really become corrupt enough that Raoul had stayed out without realizing it, there was little hope that there would not be deeper problems regardless.

Erik would have to hide him, maybe confine him to the house, but that was only a temporary solution. The authorities would perform the annual check and if he could not hide any imperfection, then Raoul would be taken away from him. They would dismantle him, remove all his hard drives for fear that even the most sophisticated of debuggers would fail, and Raoul would be upgraded to something perhaps even beyond the current gamma variant. Then, if he was ever returned instead of simply replaced, Erik did not have a single doubt in his mind that Raoul would no longer be his Raoul.

The android's mask fell though, his lips tightening before he hung his head and his shoulders slumped. Raoul was once more himself and not the emotionless android that he must have managed to present himself to the others as a defense mechanism. Erik released a breath that was more shaky than he would have liked to admit. How could he stay angry when Raoul was safe with him finally? He allowed himself such relief, brief though it was when he suddenly remembered the woman's words. They had missed his smile, his _laugh_. He spared a moment to wonder if he had ever heard Raoul laugh and with a tightness in his chest, knew that the answer was no.

When Raoul finally looked up, Erik was met was eyes that shone with both shame and defiance. The android was sorry, but Erik was almost certain that he was only sorry that he had been caught.

The relief he felt was easily replaced with anger because Raoul did not seem to understand damage he had caused. "Where would you have gone?" he pressed, now fully expecting answers.

His android remained silent, though his throat worked as he swallowed saliva.

"Answer me!" he yelled and despite his instinct to move closer, he strode towards the MIDS instead. "Damn it," he cursed under his breath, more angry with himself than the android. "Do you know what it is you have done?" He leaned on the digital screen and stared blankly out the window, seeing through the recording to imagine Raoul in the colony alone and accosted by men that would not hesitate to do him harm. His android had essentially rebelled. It was a small rebellion, but a rebellion nonetheless. They'd had every right to deal with him as they saw fit without informing him until he filed a report and yet the woman had managed to convince them to return him to Erik.

"I was going to return." Raoul's voice was a rough whisper, the defiance still there but barely.

Erik still could not turn around, could not bear to look at what he could have lost. "They are coming tomorrow," he said instead, turning only because he needed to make sure Raoul understood what was to come next. He avoided looking him in the eyes. "They will check your logs to ensure I have…" he hesitated to say the words, "to ensure I have attempted to fix this _problem_."

Raoul's fists closed tightly and Erik wondered if he was going to argue his last point. He wondered if Raoul saw his willful disobedience of the law as a problem, but instead of fighting, the blond deliberately opened his fists and laid his palms flat against his legs.

"What were you planning on doing?" Erik asked, almost pleading. He needed to know.

The blond ducked his head to stare at the floor between them.

"Why?" Erik stepped closer, close enough that he knew Raoul was staring at his shoes. "Just answer me that. Why?"

Raoul glanced up at him and Erik hated himself for wanting so very desperately to capture his expression, to paint him, to touch him. The android looked more human than Erik thought possible, conflicting emotions of shame and sorrow yet all defiance and conviction. He was breathtaking, more alive in that moment than Erik had felt in years.

"I had to know," he finally answered, his voice tight with emotion. Erik need not prompt, for he continued, "I wanted to know if you would miss me." He frowned, voice quieting when he finished, "If there was a reason to come back."

Erik was glad for the space he had forced between them these past months, glad to have refused to see Raoul like this earlier. He would not have known what to do, would have probably tried to stifle whatever the android had been coming into. By doing so, they might have avoided this situation completely; however, he would have never seen Raoul as clearly as he did in this moment nor would he realized how much of what he wanted could never be had. Only that which he was forced to do was available to him.

"Close your eyes," he ordered, unable to watch the fear cross his features any longer, unable to watch the betrayal and the hurt.

Shaking his head almost minutely, Raoul kept his gaze steady on him, blue eyes calm and certain though not unafraid.

Erik moved then, unsteady steps bringing him closer and he could see the confusion in Raoul's eyes because he need not be close to say the directive. He refused to hesitate as he placed a palm across the android's eyes, while his other hand reached behind his neck to hold him place. His fingers brushed against the short hairs there, fingers tingling at the sensation of hair so real and soft that he wanted to spend hours just running his fingers through it. Raoul started slightly from his touch but settled quickly enough, though his hands were once again fists at his sides.

Erik tried to ignore the fact that this close, he could feel Raoul's breath on his face. "Initiate…"

He thought of Raoul's words as he forced the directive from his lips. It was not a question of missing Raoul. That was a constant state of being with their self-imposed separation. Even apart, Raoul was a large part of his day, of his thoughts. He had been painting him from holograms and yet the real thing was so very dynamic in a way that Erik had not remembered nor had been able to capture. He worried more about the last part of Raoul's motivation for staying out past curfew, wondering if the android had his answer as to whether there was a reason for him to come back.

He did not relinquish his hold even when the android's voice sounded.

"… will be completed in four hours…"

He held on longer and bit the apology that almost fell from his lips only because Raoul was safe and he would _not_ apologize for that. Raoul would be safe from the law and the constabulary when they came tomorrow. He would be safe from the world.

Erik ignored the voice that had last sounded from the android, ignored the hours and minutes before he could interact once more with _his _Raoul. Instead, he thought of Raoul's first response to him, _I was going to return, _and forced himself to release his face and step away when the urge to caress his cheek almost became too strong to contain. Erik searched his face, the long eyelashes that framed his closed eyes and the utter perfection that was somehow less now that there was no expression.

With some regret, he realized that Raoul would not safe from him.

o.o.o.o

End Chapter 03

A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!  
Chapter Review: I hate this chapter. It's… clunky. This is obviously not going to be a pleasant journey. Sorry? They were doing so well this time. (Not really. One of them would have eventually broke… well, Raoul technically did). Also, I personally like how the biometrics system read Raoul as Raoul instead of his android designation number. XD

Yes, I guiltily admit that I chose Madame Giry's first name based on _The Phantom of Manhattan_. It's not a bad first name. (The novel on the other hand…) Also, yes, I did just name her bakery _corps de Boulanger_ as a play on corps de ballet (it's not really a good play on words. I know that). Also, I changed what she had been wearing about four times before I realized, I honestly cannot picture Mme Giry in anything but those long skirt and jacket combos. I figure it works in a colony because at least she's protected from all the sand if need be. Idk.

Head!canon, all the abodes in this colony are built below ground to combat against the sandstorms, thus the stairs leading down to Erik's home and the need for fake windows. But that's just random information you probably don't really care about and has no ultimate effect in the story.


End file.
